Author Interview: PD Alleva

1. Hi! Welcome to my humble blog of all things bookish! I would like for us to start by getting to know you. Give us a short bio, please!

Hello, PD Alleva here. I write dystopian sci-fi and horror novels with six books published. I believe in stretching possibility and exploring human consciousness. I’m also a psychologist and hypnotist trained in neuro linguistic programming and ancient wisdom who enjoys including these trainings within my stories and characters. I enjoy intelligent and action packed reads. I’ve been writing all my life and love all forms of literature. If a book is good I’ll read it despite the genre. Major literary influences include: Mary Shelley, the Bronte Sisters, HG Wells, Washington Irving, Poe, Lovecraft, Bradbury, Clive Barker, and Stephen King (old King not so much with the new stuff although I do read them).

Morning or evening? Morning definitely although a breath-taking sunset is always nice to gaze on. I get up around 4:30 every morning. I enjoy the quiet morning brings, allowing the brain space to think and settle in for a long day of writing and creativity.

Library or museums? Library definitely. Coming from a troubled home I spent a lot of time in libraries growing up. It was a place of solitude and safety.

Pen and paper or computer/phone? In the old days I used pen and paper. The amount of five subject notebooks I had could fill a room. Problem was I despised typing, which is the reason those notebooks haven’t seen the light of day in years. A few decades ago with the rise of Microsoft word I decided to change my way. My fear was that the passion and emotion in my books wouldn’t transfer to the computer, which seemed at the time to be impersonal and cold. But we adjust or we die so I took up the reins and dove in. Glad I did, it’s much easier now to edit.

Book or ebook? I still prefer books over ebooks, although I do read a lot of ebooks but there’s just something about the feel of a book that brings the heart a bit of peace.

3. When you look for books to read, what trope or type of story will always catch your attention?

Nothing specific. I try not to limit myself by genre or trope or anything else for that matter. I receive most of my book recommendations over Goodreads or social media. Although my go to genres are the same I write in, I do enjoy a good book no matter what the genre. There’s nothing better then a good book!

4. What do you write? Tell us about your current projects and the latest happenings!

I write science fiction and I also write horror novels. I have a few projects I’m currently working on. I finished The Rose Vol. 2 a few days ago – expecting a December release – and I’m also editing a horror thriller novel titled Golem that I’m getting ready for an October release. Tentative description is below. I also completed a second horror novel, Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect a few months ago, which will be released sometime in 2022. I call Jigglyspot my Covid Quarantine Isolation novel, it’s a satirical cosmic grindhouse horror thriller that follows a four foot ten, half human half warlock alien lackey whose tasked with pulling off 2019’s summer solstice celebration for presenting humans and their alien demon overlords. Tentative blurb for this one is: Carnivals. Cannibals. And Clowns. Oh My! Jigglyspot enjoys dressing up as a clown, hence why the clown is in there. Although I might use something along the lines of: There’s a new clown in town. Ha, I love Jigglyspot. I also started writing a novella series titled: Girl on a Mission, first installment in the six novella series is titled: The Dead Do Speak. The story follows 16 year old near death leukemia survivor Liza Ward who discovers she has the power to influence peoples minds to do whatever she tells them to. When Liza’s father enters a drug and alcohol rehab she uses her newfound power to work as a hitman for the Italian mafia in 1990’s Brooklyn, NY. I’m hoping to have the first installment ready this summer.

Here’s the Golem blurb:

On November 1, 1951, war hero John Ashton was promoted to detective. His first assignment: find the district attorney’s missing daughter. But his only lead is Alena Francon, a high society sculptor and socialite committed to Bellevue’s psychiatric facility.

Alena has a story for the new detective. A story so outlandish John Ashton refuses to heed the warning. Alena admits to incarnating Golem, a demonic force, into her statue. A devil so profound he’s infiltrated every part of New York’s infrastructure. Even worse, he uses children to serve as bodily hosts for his demonic army, unleashing a horde of devils into our world.

When Alena’s confidant, Annette Flemming, confirms the existence of Golem, John is sent on a collision course where fate and destiny spiral into peril, and the future of the human race hangs in the balance.

Confusion is an evil art!

5. What is your most recent release? Give us a short presentation, cover, and a link for where to buy it!

Most recent release is the dystopian science fiction thriller, The Rose Vol. 1. The story follows an unsuspecting safety camp survivor as she discovers the presence of alien vampires and alien greys who have conspired with elite humans to subjugate the human population. Sandy uncovers this diabolical plot after she is brought to an underground medical compound for genetic experimentation on her then unborn child.

The book is available across most book buying platforms. I have all the links to those sites on my website here: https://pdalleva.com/product/the-rose-vol-1

6. What real-life inspiration do you draw from, and what are your primary fictional sources of inspiration (books, authors, films, music, etc.)? Name a few!

I draw a lot from personal experience, either bad or good, and a lot from my professional experience as a hypnotist and psychotherapist. Also from my interests in quantum mechanics, biology, ancient wisdom, and alien lore, which is always a ton of fun. As far as fictional sources, oh hell yes. I love nostalgia. Of course books are a great source of inspiration, from Poe to Shelley to current authors like Blake Crouch, VE Schwab, and JD Barker, but also films like The Matrix, 2001 A Space Odyssey, John Carpenter movies, and movies like The Silence of the Lambs (the book too).  Music also plays a big role; I’m a classic rock, grunge music, hard pumping guitar inspiration type of guy.

7. What is your writing routine? If you have one, give us the run-down!

I write just about every single day. If you count editing in that process than everyday. I wake up at 4:30 am because I feel this is the best time to write, when the mind is clear and there’s little to no distractions other than the thoughts turning around in my own mind. I’ll write then for a few hours at least, but sometimes, especially when there is a specific scene I need to nail down because the entire series depends on what is revealed in that chapter, I may take a few days with it, writing then editing then rewriting.

8. If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice as you started out on the path to become an author, what would it be?

Keep doing what you’re doing, the world will catch up to you.

9. Last but not least: where can we find you? Drop those links!

Thank you Catrin for the interview and support, I’m grateful to be here. I can be found across social media but I enjoy sending out my newsletter most of all. It’s where that personal touch shines through. Link to sign up is below. Thank you to all who stopped by.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pdalleva_author/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pdallevaauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PdallevaAuthor

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/pdalleva

Website:  www.pdalleva.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7634126.P_D_Alleva

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/p-d-alleva

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